Kee Malesky

The term dates back to the 19th century when white traders would swap "firewater" for Indian goods and "off the reservation" was "a lonely and dangerous place for an aboriginal American to be."

It's royal baby time in the UK. Great amounts of speculation and wagering seem to surround the choice of a name — George, James, Charlotte, Elizabeth? But what about the surname for this little prince or princess? There are a couple of options!

As the year comes to an end, NPR librarian Kee Malesky shares closing lines from some great novels — those last few moments spent with a story that you love.

In all of American history, just one woman has ever been awarded the Medal of Honor: Mary Edwards Walker, a physician during the Civil War. Congress later tried to take back the medal.

The man was as odd as his myth. Long-haired, barefoot and nature-loving, John Chapman traveled the Midwest in the early 1800s planting trees and creating orchards for future settlers.

In September 1862, the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac clashed on the banks of Antietam Creek, just outside Sharpsburg, Md., in a battle that became the nation's bloodiest day.

Golf's top pros are in the final rounds of the 2012 PGA Championship this weekend in South Carolina, so let's take a look at the fascinating history of one fundamental piece of equipment.

The International Olympic Committee came up with some rather unusual sporting events for the 1900 Paris Games — including one that would probably be considered shocking today.

Deep Throat whispered "follow the money" to reporter Bob Woodward during the investigation of Watergate, the third-rate burglary that brought down the Nixon administration. Or did he? An NPR librarian launched her own investigation.

From Gauls to Goths to soldiers of the Holy Roman Empire, many outsiders have tried to destroy the Eternal City, with varying degrees of success.